Subject:
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Re: Dinosaur Color Scheme
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 27 Jul 2000 08:32:44 GMT
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Viewed:
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394 times
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> what recent species are you extrapolating from?
The biggest terrestic sauropsid species today is the Komodo Dragon......
> And
> of course, there are vibrantly colored examples of all of these; consider • the
> Gila Monster and Arrow Frogs, for examples of each which can have • variations in
> color across their bodies.
Yes, because it is a selective advantage for poisonous animals to let their
possible predators know that they are poisonous.... I don't think we have
any hints that Triceratops or Stegosaurus was a poisonous animal....
Obviously, mammals are the same way; all manner of
> dogs, cats, zebras/horses, etc can have boldly contrasting areas on their • body,
> and in many cases these are typical, not exceptions (and not just on the • fur -
> shave a brindle greyhound, and you have a striped bald dog - the • coloration can
> derive from the pigmentation of the skin beneath).
The body pattern of zebras is used as camouflage - somatolysis. Body
patterns of large predators (tigers, cats etc..) has the same effect so they
can approach their prey without being detected. Triceratops as well as
Stegosaurus were animals that had dangerous weapons - a different tactics to
cope with predators. I would rather compare a Triceratops with a rhino than
with a zebra...
Same with birds, fish,
> insects ... Point is, there's no indication at *all*, eitehr way. It's • all
> conjecture.
True. However, if I'd decide whether to picture these animal unicoloured or
bicoloured, I'd go for the unicoloured ones. Right now I cannot think of a
single large elephant-sized animal that has orange legs and a grey body.
Isn't it more parsimonious to assume a uni-coloured animal?
> > > On the other hand, the established theory is that birds evolve from • theropods.
> > > Since some birds do have feet in orange, why not dinosaurs?
> >
> > Because some birds have a selective advantage because of orange feet • (stir
> > up animals they feed on etc.). I cannot think of a selective advantage a
> > herbivore elephant-sized animal could have with orange feet....
>
> Well, attracting a mate, for another example ... peacocks, for example. • To warn
> off predators is another reason - many foul-tasting or poisonous • (poisonous to
> eat, that is) animals can get away with being brightly colored or having
> brightly colored patches since they *want* to be recognized as not being • one of
> their tasty brethren (caterpillars and frogs come to mind) - and predators • leave
> them be, having learned that they are bad news.
Don't tell me Triceratops had a modified parotis that pumped poison into its
horns....
I am also not convinced by the story that the hole in the crest of some
Ceratopsids as Torosaurus was used as sexual display.... to me this is
nothing but storytelling.
Or it could just be that they
> tended to coat their lower legs with a clay-like mud in order to deter • biting
> insects, much the way pigs and hippos will - repeated applications could • dye the
> skin. There are lots of reasons why they might have developed brightly • colored
> feet ...
Why only the lower legs? Animals who do this tend to cover their entire body
with clay... elephants, pigs, hippos.... not only their legs.
> Though I'm not saying they did. And I personally don't really dig the
> appearance of the brightly colored LEGO-dino legs ... but I took umbrage • to the
> authoratitive claims ;)
Maybe I just cannot stand the combination of orange (or whatever this new
colour is named) and grey.....
Arnold
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Dinosaur Color Scheme
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| (...) just because I'm feeling combatative, I figured I'd challenge you on this ... what recent species are you extrapolating from? Many many reptiles and amphibians display massive variation in their coloration: lizards tend to have lighter (...) (24 years ago, 26-Jul-00, to lugnet.adventurers, lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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